We have 12 years to stop global warming

Photo via Becker1999/FlickrA woman holds a sign protesting climate change nay sayers at the People’s Climate March on April 29, 2017, in Washington, DC. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that if conservation efforts aren’t maintained, we will experience harsh living conditions by 2030.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report earlier this month stating the earth has a dozen years to reverse global warming before it’s too late.

After years of being warned by scientists that we will face drastic changes to this earth if we don’t change our bad habits, and with no one listening to these scientists, those warnings have now become reality for everyone.Powerful hurricanes, worsening droughts, rising sea levels, cumulative CO2 emissions and more are currently threatening our planet and it’s all thanks to humankind.

Although we’ve damaged this earth severely, there is still time to help it.As humans of this planet, we need to make it our responsibility to make a difference before it’s too late.We still have some time left to help out our planet, but these actions need to be done sooner than later.It is stated that, “if we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change.”

That gives us less than two years to step up.

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, gave a speech asking everyone to help.

“We have the tools to make our actions effective. What we still lack — even after the Paris Agreement — is the leadership and the ambition to do what is needed.”He continues, even more disappointed ,saying, “What makes all of this even more disturbing is that we were warned.”

I agree with Guterres.What we have let happen to this planet is not okay.The fact that we have the resources to improve its overall health and we’re doing little to nothing about it is disturbing.It’s sad and disappointing that the reason we’re even at this level is because we have no, “leadership and ambition.”

When Guterres continued his speech, he later mentioned, “the world’s richest nations are the most responsible for the climate crisis, yet the effects are being felt first and worst by the poorest nations and the most vulnerable peoples and communities.”

This is completely devastating and heartbreaking.People around the world are being affected by climate change.However, the people who are struggling the most have to deal with the climate changes on top of their everyday life struggles.In richer countries, there’s at least more precautions and protection against climate changes, so the effects don’t hit us as hard.Poorer countries don’t have these luxuries though.Meaning, that we need to come together and help each other out.We all live on the same planet, so we all have to take a part in fixing the mess we have made.

There needs to be a significant improvement on our earth, and it needs to happen quickly.It’s up to all of us to make a difference.If not, come year 2030, we’ll be living in circumstances we never thought were possible.

Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or of its staff. Lauren Turner studies journalism and english and can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.